Life-saving apparatus



Aplil 14, 1931. MCGEE 1,800,310

LIFE SAVING APPARATUb Filed June 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 14,1931'. MCGEE 1,800,31Q

LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed June- 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A a. r'regegz a m... Jt 'onz 1 res thereof,

Patented 14, 1931 STATES {PATENT OFFICE V 345 312 McG'EE, or gnuore,PENNSYIfiVAjNIA, AssIe on or onE-mr'rn: To reap 5;

- :BROWN, or en BoIs, PENNSYLVANIA v LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS his in ntiore tes to a appa atus adapted for utilization in the rescue of survins-on a Wrecked u m rine Vessel, a mo e Part cular y to a d vi g belladapt d to abellower d into position" adj cen in c ntact th the ubm n anto m a s iacilitating the transfer of any survivors i mth fw ck d vesselto the b ll- T e pr m ry obje t o the inv nt i the provision o mea wherey, a te l ca ing the position ofthe wrecked vessel, the work may teesily n exped u y ,szfieetea, i v Qther ehiec s of the inven i n e made#931 in t e f llowing spe ific wlien read vin c nnection wit the a i rries d n a es ar sa ld ew gs i I J r fl i a (vertical ection taken h oudivin A. 1 i netic'ally ittac'hd to the hull of a sun en submarine 7 vis afrQnt ele ation of the b lll; fig, 3, is a horizon a ,ectio takenanagram (bell, lookiagsicnnne d y h rem sml, iiss vert cal sect on ke hru the bell, and l oking "to ar s the fron reterr nes ecifi ell yto-t r wng in wh ch --.li e rensze nume als ind c te :like' na tsfth oilghpntthe eral vi ws, 1 names the-infi l of a unken bma ine,

si vivcrsssa ve sel being pro ided with a .Ort 2i, and ind 'ce e h diing l re er ed to as the bellclearly ndic ted n Fig 9 he hell '8 Qi igQeralE sph rica informat on, excep forthe front portion thereof, andtermed .nf metal suffii liently c -ans to re ist y p essnre manna may besu jecte W e .sabmerged, and of snific en intern d m sions vc int rt-aly house the o upant thereof and the mechanismsnecessary to the salvagework. As here illustrated the-bell pre dedwit a 4, a vertical 'l a li pwalla and a s id Wal 9 and .0,. r specb how ng h latt we,

a; other wreck dv ss llsuppcsed to c nta n t ely, e pa t i n 7 a so prdi wi the wall 5,"a tank room 11 adapted to contain oxygen and acetylenetanks 12. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer periphcry of the bell 3carries a plurality of properly spaced anchors 13, adapted to receiveguy line cables 14 leading to the mother boat (not shown) ,on thesurface. As will be clearly understood, proper manipulation of thecables 14 from saidmother boat will L69 result in the vbell 3 beingbrought to workins po ition at es e t r e boat, telephonic, or othersignalling devices, beingin connection between the bell and the motherboat, through wiring in the conduit The front end of the bell 3 isclosed by a flat wall 16, and is provided with a port '17, normallyclosed by a door 18, provided with glass covered peep holes 18, saiddoor {210 being'slidably mounted in runways formed by ahousi'ng' 19secured to the wall 16 and surrounding the port 17 On the outer face ofthe wall 16 is an integrally-formed tubular, ri e y cyl dr cal n i n1.20, v a diameter sufficient to surround the port 2 2 on the submarine1; On the outer surface of the front end of the extension 20 is slidablymounted a rubber cushion 21, which is concentric with the'extension andprojects-2,80 beyond the outer. end thereof. A tubular envelope 22concentrically surrounds the outer surface of the extension 20, said'envelope being provided with an outer end wall 23. Extending throughthe wall 16 35 of the bell, and the'wall 2301? the envelope 22, are apluralityof rods 24, each carrying a presser foot bearing against andsecured to the rear face of the slidable cushion 21,

the inner portion of the: rods 24 being inmgo powerful magnet 27, incircuit with wires carried by the conduit 15, and controlled by theswitches 28, see Fig. 1. Brackets 29' plate 32, which is, in turn,secured to a flange 33 carried by the bracket 29, as shown in Fig. 1.The outer ends of the plates 30 and 32 provide a socket for thereception of a circular cushion 34, adapted for contact with the side ofthe sunken vessel 1, and beveled to conform to the contour thereof,asherein illustrated. i

In the top of the bell 3 is mounted a pump 35, secured to the wall 6,compressed air foroperating said. pump being fed through the flexibleconduit 36 extending through the top of the hell, or, if more desirable,the pump may be electrically operated and in connection with the circuitwires leading through the conduit 15, and adapted to draw air throughthe pipe 36. In any event the pump is equipped with pipes 37, leading tothe space between the magnetic cells, whereby to direct a flow ofcooling air around said cells while the magnet is in operation,as willbe hereinafter referred to. The pipes 37 are provided with hand valves38 to control the How of air, as will be under stood. In view of theforegoing it will be clear that, divers having first located the sunkenboat, the bell is lowered as nearly as calculations-will permit, to aposition adjacent the most exposed side thereof. The boat 1 is in viewof the operators within the, bell, through the glass 18, and bysignalling the mother boat, the bell may be so moved vertically andlaterally that the cushions 21 and 34 willcontact the sides of theboatl, and the end of the extension 20 be positioned concentricallyaround the port 2 on the sunken boat. In this position theswitches '28are manipulated to throw the magnet 27 I into operation,fthe resultbeing that the magnet will exert a very powerful pull upon the metallicside of the boat 1, and compress the cushions 21,;and 34 thereagainst,re-

venting the ingress of water to the extension '20, and the hand wheels26 are then all turned to more tightly compress the cushion 21 againstthe side of the submarine 1.. The ,7 pump 35 is then thrown intooperation to force compressed air through the pipe 39,

leading intothe interior of the extension 20, whereby to. eject waterfrom the latter, through the check valves 40. When the extension 20,iscleared of water, the door 18 is moved from its closedposition, asfollows:f V

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the door 18 is of elongatedconstruction, and is slidably mounted within a housing 41, secured tothe wall 16, the rear edge of the door structure being provided with abar 42 carrying ratchet teeth adapted to engage a pinion 43, mounted onrotative shaft 44 secured to the said wall. A handwheel 45 is rigidlysecured to the shaft 44, and" rotation of said wheelwill obviously causethe engaged teeth on the pinion and door to pull the front portion 18pfthe door out of its housing, a reverse rotationof the wheel restoringthe door 18 to its position, suitably packed to prevent entrance ofwater into the bell.

The door 18- having been opened access may be had to 'theiport 2 of thesubmarine 1, and the survivors of the wreck apprised by may he opened byan acetylene torch. 'In

any event entrance to the cells of the Wrecked boat may be effectedinthis .manner and the survivors or their bodies, taken. into the bell3, through the extension 21, and subsequently delivered to the surface.A pipe 46 leads into and supplies thebell with fresh air, the foul 'airbeing taken offib'y a Pipe47. V

In order to further facilitate the manipulation of the bell so that thecushions 21 and 34 may be brought to a position where 'they may contactthe hull. 1 concentrically of the port 2, I prefer to provide aplurality of small propellers'48' having ashaft'49 extending through thehull of the bell 3, each propeller beingu rotat'ed iby -"a separatemotor 50, electrically connected to the wires in f the conduit 15, andcontrolled byftfhe switches 28.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided an apparatusadapted; to

greatly facilitate the salvaging of 'thefo ccupants of wreckedsubmarines. The 'g'lasscovered peep-holes 18 permit inspectionof thevhull of the sunken boatas it is appreached by the bell 3, and themovements .of the bell, before being magnetically secured to the hull 1,may be accurately controlled by operators in the mother boat,'uponsignals from the bell. Furthermore, the interior of thebell is equippedwith all. devicesnecesments falling fairly within the scopeof theappended claims;- p I claim: I. v 1, Salvaging apparatus" adapted foroperation in connection with a sunken boat having a metallichu'll,comprising'a hollow bell, a tubular extension projecting from said belland leading thereinto, a slidablymounted, resilient cushion surroundingthe outer end of said extension and projecting therefrom, a magnatesurrounding said extension and adapted to retain said cushion in closecontact with said hull, and means in said bell adapted for operation toautomatically adjust the position of said cushion.

2. Salvaging apparatus for operation in connection with a sunken boathaving a metallic hull, comprising a hollow bell, a tubular extensionprojecting from said bell and leading thereinto, two concentricallymounted circular cushions carried by the outer end of said extension andadapted for contact with said hull, means in said shell adapted foroperation to move one of said cushions longitudinally of said extensionwhereby to increase or decrease the pressure thereof upon said hull, andmagnetically operated means adapted to retain said cushions in contactwith said hull.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARVEY E. MoGEE.

